Professor Nisha Nemmara
English 201:A4
19 February 2014
Research Proposal Draft
The Topic Statistics show that there are more than five million public schools students with with limited english proficiency (where are you getting this number from...citation) . Those students sometimes never are able to close the academic gap between them and their Englishproficient peers. Is this problem an innate problem because the students initially entered the schools academically behind or is there some fault in the education system in the type of methods used?(this question is not addressing language, which is what you're focusing on so reword this) .
I would like to explore the different kinds of methods of teaching nonEnglish proficient students, in order to determine which is the most effective, least emotionally, and economically taxing. I would like to also explore the role the government plays in this problem and the ramifications of their actions or inactions. Why are many nonEnglish proficient students unable to catch up with their peers academically? Also for those who do succeed and close the academic gap, are there any other influences other than the type of programs they went through that account for their achievement? The Adopted Conceptual/Theoretical Framework 1. Bilingual Education
This is one of the methods that is used in public schools to teach students with with limited english proficiency. It calls for teaching Englishlearners in both their native language and in English. I would like to explore the logistics, morale, and economic problems that face this program. 2. Sheltered English Immersion (SEI)
This is another of the methods that is used in public schools to teach students with with limited english proficiencty. It calls for teaching Englishlearners in only English with minimal, if any, native language support. I would like to explore the physiological effects this program has on children who go through it. Also does it just provide a short term solution, or is it capable of providing a long term solution? 3. Multilingual Education
This is another of the methods in (in what ?) teach students with with limited english proficiencty but is not used in public schools. It is often implemented in foreign countries where students learn completely in their native language then start expanding to other languages. I would like to explore this to see if it has any application potential in the US.
4. Federal laws like Equal opportunity act and No Child Left Behind
The federal governments may not take sides in the debate between bilingual,
Englishonly and other styles of teaching, but the laws that they enact can greatly influence the methods schools choose to implement in teaching Englishlearners. Are federal laws helping schools and supporting them or are they hampering them from aiding Englishlearners?
A Research Question What is the best method of teaching students with limited English proficiency in order to close the achievement gap? This is a growing issue today. With